Justice Department seeks ballot isolation in Alaska Senate race amid criminal probe

The Justice Department moved on October 31, 2026, to isolate Alaska ballots amid a criminal investigation over allegations Democrats recruited a spoiler candidate in a toss-up US Senate race. The Senate candidate denied knowledge of an alleged plot to put two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.

The investigation targets electoral manipulation in one of the few competitive Senate races determining chamber control. Ballot isolation preserves evidence for criminal proceedings while creating uncertainty around vote counting procedures days before the election. The probe intersects with broader executive-branch intervention in state election administration, testing boundaries between legitimate fraud investigation and electoral interference.

Sources

NPR, published October 31, 2026, npr.org; BBC, published October 31, 2026, bbc.co.uk